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Montevallo working on plans for 167-acre donation along Highway 119

Montevallo Mahler property donation edit.jpg

The City of Montevallo is continuing to develop plans for using the 167-acre property donated to the municipality by Elizabeth A. Mahler and Shoals Creek Farm Inc. located near the Alabama National Cemetery and American Village on both sides of Highway 119. (Martin J. Reed / mreed@al.com)

The City Council during its meeting on Monday night
briefly discussed using Kelly Landscape Architect to develop the Shoal Creek
Park master plan. The document would cover the land donated by Elizabeth A.
Mahler and Shoals Creek Farm Inc. located near the Alabama National Cemetery
and American Village on both sides of Highway 119.

The donation of land that includes an antebellum home comes
with a request to the city to preserve the property as a park and other
municipal purposes, possibly the site of a new City Hall.

Kelly Landscape Architect's Chuck Kelly told the council
he has submitted a proposal that would create a process for developing the
master plan. The process would include public hearings and opportunities for
comment.

"A final master plan would be subject to review and
comments," Kelly said.

The donation of land appraised at $670,000 includes the white home prominently located off Highway 119 that city leaders are planning
on using as a possible museum or visitors center for Montevallo. Plans call for
naming the area Shoal Creek Park under Mahler's request.

The council will consider Kelly's request at an upcoming
meeting.

Also on Monday night, the council approved an agreement with
Lonnie Bearden and John Nix to allow them to use the Mahler property to run up
to 60 cattle for grazing on the land.

In exchange for paying rent to the municipality, the two
men will maintain fences on the property and keep the hayfields and open areas
cut. The lease approved by the council carries a one-year term and can be
terminated by either party with a 90-day written notice.

Councilman Don Hughes raised concern about the cattle on
the land polluting the creek that runs across the property. The council agreed to approve the contract with a stipulation to abide by any state regulations concerning runoff into
the creek caused by the cattle.

Councilman Rusty Nix abstained from voting on the matter
because he is related to John Nix.